CIRCLE WITH A DOT

@iagox86 @censys Good luck!

TFW your bag of Hershey's Miniatures has been whittled down to just the boring flavor.

@zak There was like a golden age of malls for a while, with lots of overlap. Natural Wonders and Nature Company, Brookstone and Sharper Image, Disney, Rainforest Cafe… all these specialty stores and restaurants, all in one place.

Now most of the “specialty” chains are gone, a lot of the anchors are empty (many completely out of business) and God only knows what happened to the thirty different clothing stores owned by like 2 big names.

Our closest mall is almost half empty. The only reason I still went there was for Apple, and they’ve moved to one of the new urban center shopping places.

@USBTypeSteve huh. I don’t remember that one at all.

@gsuberland I've never even heard of Travis.

@USBTypeSteve I don't remember any Chips Ahoy song... it's an old jazz / swing standard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_E0UVNtJ9Y

TIL that Sing, Sing, Sing wasn't actually written by Benny Goodman; it has vocals; and the version I'm accustomed to actually isn't the famous 1938 concert (which now that I've heard it, it sounds absolutely amazing as well).

I'm wondering if any modern bands have covered it...

@kims @inthehands I remember being stoked when I noticed a pattern between successive points in a simple parabola. (My algebra teacher nudged me a little and a few days later it made more sense).

Though I *did* find the secret, at least in my county, for knowing when the light would turn green: 13 flashes of my lane’s Don’t Walk signal, plus about six seconds.

@zero_gravitas Actually, that Natural Earth looks even better to my eye. I may have to look for a couple good image files of that one also.

But really, I just wanted a quick reference for world nations, which always seemed to become a 5-minute search whenever I wanted to see something "real quick."

@zero_gravitas I just found this - a simple overlay/toggle comparison. I can't say which one is more "right", but that Gall-Peters just, as CJ was saying, looks wrong.

I wonder if the Peters distortions are simply a result of trying to stick to a rectilinear format. I'm okay with the curved sides if it keeps the shapes closer to reality (where, I'll admit, reality is probably more shaped by a lifetime with Mercator than actual reality).

The deformation indicators ("Tissot Indicatrix") at the bottom really sell it to me.

Compare Map Projections

Compare the map projections and

(map-projections.net)

@zero_gravitas I do wonder why, when we're almost always looking at maybe <100 mile areas, online maps don't use something other than Mercator. Just zoom in as if you were zooming in on a globe.

@zero_gravitas I knew what this was before I even clicked.

That map just...it adds too many other distortions.

Sadly, I couldn't quote the last post I just...reposted. So new thread.

One major frustration I have with online maps (and there are a LOT of complaints) is that very few make it easy to see, like, countries. I just want a normal, easy, zoomable political map of the world.

I've been sensitive to the issues of the Mercator projection, but a lot of the alternatives are just a pain. The Equal Earth projection mentioned in the previous post looks like a good compromise.

So I went to equal-earth.com, downloaded a full-resolution map (actually two - one centered on Greenwich, and one on Oceania (150º E). Saved 'em to a local folder, and created a Raycast quick link for them.

So anytime I want to look up a country I see mentioned in an article, I just hit a hot key, type "world", and boom! there's a map.

@sundogplanets Maybe focus on the trailer part? Shipping containers are (I think) fairly globally standardized, though I’ve no idea if terms are.

Or are the satellites closer in size to the pulling vehicle than to the trailer / container?

@Diami03 Oooh. I only spent one weekend there, in Dublin, but I remember it being both beautiful and friendly.

There are absolutely many times I want to escape the US suburban chaos for the slower pace of Ireland or Yorkshire. (We really like North Yorkshire, but at this point the UK gov is also concerning).

@adamshostack @TheWarOnCars After five times, sure, install the regulator. If they somehow get to 16, I’d expect them to lose their license AND the fucking car.

OMG, I'm actually listening to the Cisco hold music...on hold! Not sure when I last heard this IRL.

(then again, I almost never actually call anyone anymore...)

Took a long, scenic route to pick up my son at college. Passed a big black and white US flag sign with “No Quarter Farm” emblazoned on it.

I had an interview last Thursday. Haven't heard anything since (not that I really expected to, but, you know, it'd be nice, and aren't all job-seekers this anxious?)

I sent a note to the interviewer, thanking him for his time (totally lost track of it over a very busy weekend), and within 15 minutes, got an email to schedule the next step.

Coincidence? Probably. But that doesn't make me less happy to have reached back anyway -- this process sucks on both sides of the table. If there's anything I can do to make it easier for them, I'm happy to do it as a human, but also because it may help me.

Now I just gotta prepare for a "live analysis/logic session." Let the anxiety (re)commence!